Beats the game live, but loses online?

LockLow34 · #1 05-13-2005, 01:26 PM

I think it's time to face facts: I can't win online. I've played online off and on for the last year and my results have been mediocre at best. Conversely, my results from playing regularly live (3/6 and 5/10, mostly) show me beating the game for >2BB/hr. (yes I have the detailed records to back this up)

Do others have this experience?

Anyone care to speculate on why this is?

purnell · #2 05-13-2005, 01:32 PM

I will speculate that the online game is much more aggressive (given the same stakes) than live. Also, any advantage your tell-reading skills give you doesn't exist online.

TheJunkyardGod · #3 05-13-2005, 01:54 PM

I used to be the same way, I would kill live games, but lose non-stop online. I still don't know how to explain it other than i'm playing more hands online and i'm more accustomed to the live aspects of the game.

But recently, i've found myself improving online. I'm a few steps away from being able to call myself a winning online player.

The only problem is, now I get killed down in AC. What the hell? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

GrunchCan · #4 05-13-2005, 02:00 PM

I'm the opposite. I beat online soilidly, but can't win live.

etgryphon · #5 05-13-2005, 02:20 PM

[ QUOTE ]

But recently, i've found myself improving online. I'm a few steps away from being able to call myself a winning online player.

The only problem is, now I get killed down in AC. What the hell? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe your statistics are finally converging on your true value.

-Gryph

etgryphon · #6 05-13-2005, 02:27 PM

I find I am much more aggressive online to my detriment. But I think that it is much easier to play live because it enhances the qualities of players. The cards are slower so people play more trash because they are bored.

Online with all the added tools or having the pot counted for you or having that sucky "Bet Pot" button on UB. People can stumble upon a strategy that is closer to optimal.

Another one is that live chip "mean" more to you than graphical represenations on the screen. You can get a looser mentality online.

Could be that you play more hands online and find out that you are not as good as you think you were and you have less metagame tools of observation (i.e. tells).

Could be that players are worse live than online.

Could be a combination of all of these.

-Gryph

LuvDemNutz · #7 05-13-2005, 04:39 PM

I have two guesses:

1) You are not a winning player and have not logged enough hands live to realize it.

AND/OR

2) The players online (at the same stakes) are better than their B&M counterparts.

GrunchCan · #8 05-13-2005, 06:03 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I have two guesses:

1) You are not a winning player and have not logged enough hands live to realize it.

AND/OR

2) The players online (at the same stakes) are better than their B&M counterparts.

[/ QUOTE ]

Any guesses why I beat online but lose live?

marsvolta619 · #9 05-13-2005, 09:22 PM

[ QUOTE ]

I have two guesses:

1) You are not a winning player and have not logged enough hands live to realize it.

AND/OR

2) The players online (at the same stakes) are better than their B&M counterparts.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was in the same boat as the OP until just recently. Still the downswings in online are killer. I knew it wasn't my sample size as I played regularly b&m for about 4 years now, at one time for a month or two I was playing 8/16 about 4 times a week and would come out up over 25BB regularly(I too kept stats).

#2, the players online are definitely not better. In fact, they are worse by far. It's just faster and there are more of them. From what I've seen, people going to a b&m are able to think, unlike online players. With the amount of time between hands, the feel of chips, and the stares of other players, players at poker rooms want to fit in. To me, it feels like the donks online want to rub their 3 out miracles in your face.

FredJones888 · #10 05-15-2005, 09:21 PM

I've heard people say that the internet players are much better and thats why some people ( like me ) can't win online. However many internet players are using software to enhance their play. In the internet forum there is much talk of what software package is the best which to me is kind of stupid. Do you want to have the best software or be the best player? On the internet the two things might be tightly linked. In a live cardroom if you bring a computer in and use it to give advice you are a cheater. Online it seems that all of the "good players" use software.

When you are playing live you are just you, not a cyborg. When I play live I know its just my own skill, and as a bonus I win money consistently.